Collectors Showcase CS00287 German Late Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Heavy Tank with Zimmerit - schwere Panzer Abteilung 506, Eastern Front, 1944 (1:30 Scale) "The gun and armor of the Tiger were superb, making it in many ways the most formidable tank in service. Even so, it was poor in maneuver, it was slow, and its turret was a slow traverser in action. It was a tank which was, at its best, immobile in ambush, when its killing power was very frightening."- Douglas Orgill, "German Armor"

The German Waffenamt issued an order to design the VK4501(H) (as the PzKpfw VI Ausf. E was then known) in May 1941, just one month prior to the commencement of Operation Barbarossa. Interestingly, Henschel und Sohn of Kassel was charged with building the heavily armored chassis while Krupp, by far the largest munitionwerks in Germany, was given the task of developing the turret. The PzKpfw VI Ausfuhrung E (type E) was one of the first German tanks to feature a torsion bar with eight interleaved wheels, which was designed to support the weight of the mammoth 57-ton tank. The Ausf. E mounted a huge 8.8cm KwK36 L/56 cannon and featured two MG34 machine guns for close support against enemy infantry. By war's end, 1,354 vehicles had been produced, some rolling off the Wegmann assembly line.

Pictured here is a 1:30 scale replica of a German late production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Heavy Tank with zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste that was attached to sPzAbt. 506, then deployed to the Eastern Front during 1944. Sold Out!

Historical Account:Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 was formed in July 1943 around a cadre from the 9th Panzer Division. It fought with Heeresgruppe Mitte at the River Dnieper and later at Krivoi-Rog. The unit was then sent to Germany and refitted with Tiger II (Koningstiger) tanks in August 1944. It halted the the Allies advance near Arnhem (during Operation Market Garden) and again at Aachen.

In November, it was strengthened with a fourth company, called the schwere Panzer Kompanie Hummel, which was used as a heavy support unit wherever it was needed. That December, schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 took part in the Ardennes offensive. It later surrendered to the Allies in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945.